


The Fish King's Daughter

by vorpatrils



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Miscarriage, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-26
Updated: 2013-10-01
Packaged: 2017-12-27 16:49:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/981287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vorpatrils/pseuds/vorpatrils
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lysa grows up, mostly happy in Riverrun, spinning fairytales with her septa and her fathers ward. But then war comes and she is married.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Catelyn, Petyr and Lysa play on the banks of the river near every free hour they have. “The trouts teach the little vale-bird to swim” Septa Walda says smiling. She minds all of them as Lysa swims in the Trident.

Its true Catelyn is the better swimmer, but Catelyn is the one that stays on the bank with Edmure on her lap and poor Petyr so far away from his home. _She_ does not swim until her hair is tangled and her shift sodden with riverwater like her sister, unless of course Lysa or Edmure beg her to.

Petyr tells the Ladies Tully tales of Braavosi heroes long gone. He spins tales of Lysa the Fish Kings daughter who fell in love with a Falcon King of the Vale, who defied her father and sought a Riverwitch to turn her into a bird so she could soar with her love.

The Falcon King Petyr loved her as a wife, but married another, Catelyn, the daughter of the Mockingbird Lord Edmure.

Without his love, she began to weaken. Knowing she was to die she flew over mountains and vale to reach the sea. There she plunged into the depths of the Drowned King’s Hall and there she wept for her foolishness and spurned love.

Lysa and Catelyn blush and giggle, that he uses their names so in his fanciful stories and make Septa Walda swear never to tell any others of his tales.

Lysa replays the story in her head as she lies in her bed that night but switches the names of the Fish King and Mockingbird Lord’s daughters, with a blush on her cheeks and a giggle on her lips.

When Catelyn asks what she is laughing about in the darkness she says she is laughing that Edmure still lisps her name as Lytha. Catelyn laughs at that and says she hopes Edmure shall never grow up.

***

Petyr roars as Edmure play-jousts with him and Catelyn and Lysa in the Godswood. They jousted with sticks earlier but Catelyn put a stop to that when Edmure accidentally scratched Lysa’s arm.

So for now they simply run at each other, roaring, daring the other to turn before they hit each other. Edmure himself doesn’t bother with turning preferring to smack into his taller playmates knees in full force.

Catelyn sits on the sidelines with Lysa making a flower crown, having already been knocked down by Petyr. She had had her revenge afterwards, kicking Petyr’s ankles out from under him, which had resulted in him falling on top of Catelyn with him only just barely having the time to spread his arms so he didn’t slam an elbow into her.

Lysa had cried out when Catelyn fell and rushed over to help the both of them up. Petyr however was already helping Catelyn up blushing and apologising as he did. Lysa and Catelyn then moved to the side both having lost and Edmure demanded they make flower crowns and he will pick which one he shall use to crown his Queen of Love and Beauty.

Edmure and Petyr ready themselves, stamping the ground, snorting like horses and growling. Edmure lets out a mighty roar for such a small boy and runs.

He smacks into Petyr’s knees but Petyr has prepared himself and instead manages to topple Edmure carefully onto his backside in the grass. The little boy looks fit to cry until Lysa cries that Petyr has to crown his Queen now. Edmure and Petyr go over to the girls and Edmure carefully examines both crowns declaring Lysa’s the better.

He reverently took it from her hands and passed it to Petyr with an expectant look on his face. Petyr hems and haws and places the crown on Catelyns head, declaring “The Queen of Love and Beauty is Catelyn Tully!” falling on his knees in front of her “Will you give your lord a kiss?” Catelyn looks around as if there were any others in the Godswood and presses a quick kiss to his lips.

Lysa desperately tried not to look upset at the scene _Of courses he would pick Catelyn over me_. Edmure angrily took Catelyn’s crown from her lap and walked over to Lysa “I declare Lysa my _High Queen_ of Love and Beauty” and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

***

She goes to Maester Garret to tend to her scratch. Maester Garret was a handsome man of about forty. Lysa had had the most _awful_ infatuation with him before Petyr came. She had been constantly tripping and twisting her ankle just to see him. He had smiled at her and gently chided her to be more careful. Her stomach would fill with butterflies when he smiled at her. Now only Petyr made her feel that way.

It worried her at first , that she would change in her affections so quickly and she prayed at the altar of the mother and crone to give her guidance. She told her Septa of it –leaving out any names – but Septa Walda assured her that all young maids fancy themselves in love once or twice.

***

Septa Walda once again reprimanded Lysa for not remembering the houses and words of the Westerlands small houses and says that _Catelyn_ can name all the small houses of the Westerlands, Riverlands _and_ the North.

 _Of course Catelyn can do it better she does_ everything _better than me_ she thinks. She nearly says it but for Septa Walda’s exasperated expression.

Lysa hangs her head and apologises, starting once more.

_House Crakehall, None So Fierce, House Marbrand, Burning Bright, House Westerling, Honour Not Honours..._

It is another _two hours_ until finally she gets them all right though Septa Walda yells at her for remembering House Reyne and House Tarbeck, both extinct due to their treachery.

In her rooms Lysa rages and weeps _why_ does she need to learn this she has never _been_ to the Westerlands and she will marry no Westerman she shall marry _another and-_

Catelyn strokes her hair when she has calmed down and smiles.

“Shall I tell you a secret little sister?”

Catelyn tells her she shall marry _Jaime Lannister_.

Catelyn asks her what she meant when she said she shall marry another.

Lysa blushes and stammers that she shall marry Edmure of course, so that he would always have a sister with him. Catelyn laughs and says only _Targaryens_ marry their sisters.

***

Lysa looked at herself in the mirror. She is dressed in a silken gown of Tully blue and red with delicate embroidery on the sleeves, her hair in a braid with red silk ribbons entwined.

She felt like a _princess._ She is fifteen, a maiden flowered and soon to be _wed_. She shall be Lady Lannister, wife of Jaime Lannister, Warden of The West and Catelyn shall be Lady Stark, wife of Brandon Stark, Warden of the North.

Lysa was at first upset that they should marry so far away from each other and Father and Edmure. Septa Walda assured her that surely after they have given their lord husbands sons they shall let the two meet at Riverrun. Lysa laughs then and suggests that she and Catelyn race to have a daughter to wed Edmure’s son.

Septa Walda laughs at that with a few tears in her eyes. She has served the girls near their entire lives and has been upset the past few days that soon she will part from them. Lysa gave her a hug and promised her that she would come serve her sons and daughters at Casterly Rock.

The Septa gives her a conspiratorial wink and says she would have preferred that she had perhaps married one of her numerous brothers or nephews. All of Riverrun knows she is one of Lord Walder Frey’s daughters though some say she is born of a tryst Lord Frey had with one of his good-daughters and some say she was a trueborn daughter who was seduced by one of her cousins and sent away in disgrace. Whether she is trueborn or bastard she will not say.

“I don’t know myself!” She says with a smile. “All I knew is I was raised at the Twins with my twin sister and disliked my Lord Father or Grandfather enough that I had no intentions of marrying and giving him the satisfaction of more grandsons.”

Her dress is made by Septa Walda. She makes some of the most beautiful dresses that Lysa has ever seen and Catelyn stitches flowers into the hems and sleeves, for luck and love, she says.

She has had a few dinners and carefully chaperoned evenings with her betrothed and tells Lysa it will be nerve-wracking at first but once they know each other it will be better.

Catelyn is dressed in a plain woollen gown in Tully colours so she won’t take attention away from Lysa, but she is seventeen and _beautiful_ in a way Lysa knows she will never be.

***

The dinner with Jaime is awful. He spends the entire evening pestering Uncle Blackfish about the War of the Ninepenny Kings completely ignoring her, no matter how Father and Catelyn politely try to encourage conversation between them.

She excuses herself from Father’s hastily arranged poetry reading after dinner, the Lannister’s ignoring of her too humiliating to bear, pleading a sore stomach from rich food.

She walks to the Godswood the light of a full moon making sure she saw her path. She will not cry. She cannot cry. She knows that her infatuation with Lord Jaime was only a passing thing for there was another she loved far more.

Petyr was a better man anyway, quick of wit and brain. When Father had encouraged Jaime to read a small poem from a book Jaime had stumbled over the words, repeating the words slowly as if reading from some old history. Petyr could read with a musical lilt and often with an occasional wink or wry expression.

She pulled the ribbon from her hair angrily tossing it to the ground. She walked and walked until she reached a stream and pulled off her shoes to dip her toes in the water. Only then did she vent her frustrations.

“Of course he wouldn’t speak to me. Everyone likes everyone better than me. The only reason Brandon Stark talked to me was because he thought I was Catelyn.”

She heard someone walking towards her from over the stream and quiets herself immediately fearful that someone has overheard her complaints.

“May I sit beside you Lady Tully?” a male voice called. It was Petyr. She smiled at him and beckoned him to her side. Petyr jumped nimbly over the small stream and sat beside her crossing his legs and looking up at the moon.

They sat like that for a good while, sometimes in silence and sometimes speaking of nothing of any consequence. Finally they heard a voice coming from the woods behind them.

“Lysa!” Septa Walda yelled “Where are you? Your Lord Father is looking _everywhere_ ” Petyr startled at the voice.

”My apologies Lady Tully but I think it’s time for me to retire to my bedchamber”

“Lysa. Please, call me Lysa Petyr” Lysa smiled.

“As you wish Lad-Lysa” He said getting up. He helped her up and pressed a kiss to her hand before jumping back over the stream and further into the godswood.

Lysa watched the direction that Petyr had left from with a smile on her face. Septa Walda found her only a few moments later looking distraught.

“I’m so sorry Lysa, Lord Tully has said you shan’t marry Jaime-”

“It’s quite fine” Lysa says. “I may not be the wife of a Lannister but I’ll have a husband and children one day. Perhaps I shall marry one of your brothers or nephews and live with you in the Twins instead? ”

Septa Walda smiled at that, taking Lysa’s arm and leading her out of the godswood. “You’re far too sweet to waste on Lord Frey’s four hundredth son my lady “she said “Perhaps you shall marry one of Brandon Stark’s younger brothers and live with your sister in the North.”  They walked on, musing on children with brown hair and blue eyes, each of them as wild as wolves.

***

Brandon comes to Riverrun soon after, leaping off his horse and lifting his startled betrothed in a spin.

Lysa felt a pang of jealousy at that but knows that if Petyr showed her such affection he would surely be reprimanded.

She looks at him often these days, a handsome boy- no, a man grown- handsome and brilliant and strong. He has been training recently with the master-at-arms and it shows, lean but small muscles showing when he has his sleeves rolled up.

He looks at Brandon with an expression she can’t quite discern on his face throughout dinner as he drained several goblets of Dornish red.

She is the last to expect it when he demands a duel for Catelyn’s hand.

But in the back of her head she thinks, _Of course he would choose Catelyn over me._

***

The duel is _awful,_ ending with Petyr bleeding on the steps and Brandon victorious.

He is taken to his rooms where Maester Garret tends to his wounds. Lysa begs to tend to him when the Maester says he will live and he accepts, as there are four women of the castle in labour at once and he can barely take care of all of them as it is.

When the Maester is gone Lysa took unconscious Petyr’s hand and kissed it over and over.

“Why Why Why didn’t you ask for my hand Petyr? Why?”

She decides an hour later that he was drunk, very, very drunk and he had said the wrong name, intending to address her Father about Lysa’s hand but he had said the wrong name and being so honourable a man went through with the duel instead of recanting his words, being a man he was bound to be too prideful to admit he made a mistake.

It is two nights later that he takes her maidenhead and calls her Catelyn.

 _He is fevered and in pain_ she tells herself _that is all._

***

Petyr has long left Riverrun by the time she knows she is with child.

She smiled, running her hand over her belly as she lay in bed. _You are mine_ she thinks _Everything else is Catelyn’s but you are mine_. Lysa sees in her dreams a child with dark eyes and Tully hair, soft and fat.

It is a few days later she wakes with red stained sheets. She screams in horror and wakes Catelyn.

Catelyn calms her saying sometimes a moonblood will flow heavy and painful.

 _No no no the babe was mine, mine and petyr’s, mine and his and MINE._ She thinks, weeping in Catelyn’s arms.

The next few days she wallows in grief that she cannot voice. Septa Walda strokes her hair murmuring sympathy. “Some flows are worse than others my lady” she says “But how else will we be mothers if we do not bleed?”

 _I_  am _a mother! I am!_ Lysa wishes to scream. It is only a few days she is in pain. Afterwards she is sore but she has stopped bleeding.

She is still feeling a little weak when she asks Septa Walda to take her to the sept. The Septa asks why she does not wish to stay abed if she is in pain and Lysa says with a playful expression that she wishes to rage at the Maiden Mother and Crone for giving her such pain and to pray they turn her into a man overnight so that she might never suffer such agony again.

Septa Walda clucks her tongue, looking at her sadly but helps her dress and walks her slowly to the sept.

She kneels in front of the Mother. She is silent but in her head she rages. _Why would you take our child away? What did we do to anger you?_ She is silent and on her knees for hours. Then she makes a decision.

Septa Walda is sitting in her rooms sewing when Lysa enters and tearfully tells her everything. Of how she seduced Petyr and lost his child. She begs her to take her away to a motherhouse where she will live serving the Seven until the day she died. Septa Walda strokes her hair and back and makes soothing noises.

She pulls Lysa up to meet her eyes.

“I’ll tell you this my lady. You have been a foolish child that cannot be denied. But I will tell no one of this. I will take this to my grave. You do not deserve to be punished your entire life for a silly mistake.”

“But I have dishonoured myself” Lysa says “I have dishonoured my father and my house even Catelyn –“ Septa Walda slapped Lysa around the face.

“ _You have dishonoured no one Lysa Tully_ ”

Lysa gaped. Her Septa had never raised a hand to _anyone_. Septa Walda stroked Lysa’s cheek.

“There are those who would call me a dishonourable bastard my lady and some who call me a ruined wanton. But do you think any less of me for it? ” Lysa shook her head. Her Septa continued.

“But they will say the same of you if you tell any but myself. That is the cruelty of the world. Men shall lay with whom they please and be praised for it but a woman shall be called forever ruined.”

Septa Walda’s face softened. “I loved a man once, truly and with all my heart but Lord Frey did not think it a good match and sent him away. But not before he put a child in my belly.” She smiled sadly. Lysa listened, wide eyed.

“I ran away and apprenticed myself to a seamstress and in time I had my children. Twin boys from a twin of the Twins. Soon enough my mistress died and left the shop to me. But soon after, the sweating sickness took my eldest boy and most of the city. I had no one to sell my dresses to and only the money I had saved to my name, a tidy amount. A Frey knows something of making and keeping money. So I used my money to send my little boy to the Citadel and I entered a motherhouse. It took many years but eventually we have been reunited.”

“Maester Garret?”

“Is my son. If it was permitted I would shout it from the highest tower in Riverrun in joy. Many a night we have sent talking of the years lost to me. You are too sweet a girl to live with regrets and misery my lady” Septa Walda kissed her head. “I shall take this to my grave my lady. I swear on the Seven seventy times over.”

***

That night she dreams of Petyr but in her dream he is years older. He walks towards her, his arms wide and palms open as if to placate her. She feels furious, near mad with anger. She is screaming about something and she holds a dark haired girl – _our child?_ \- By her arm, shoving her towards the open door. Petyr calmed her and took Lysa in his arms. She hugged him with all her might. She speaks to him feeling happy and loved. He smiles and says something to her, shoving her out the door. She _fell_ oh Gods such a long way down and _so fast and she can see the ground rushing towards her-_

Lysa startled awake. _He killed me! He killed me! Why would he do that? Why would I wish to kill my child? Mine own daughter?_ She took a cloak from her wardrobe and rushed to the sept. She knelt in front of the Mother.

“Have you sent me a vision Mother? Have I dreamt of the future? Shall Petyr truly kill me?” Lysa knows she is easily scared and that perhaps this was just a dream. But it did not feel like just a dream. She is convinced that the Mother took her child to warn her of her fate. That she would slay her _kin_ her own _daughter_ her _blood_. Lysa shivers at that, feeling sick to her stomach. She knows the gods have saved her.

Lysa swears at all the altars of the Seven that she shall _never_ give Petyr Baelish a place in her heart again.

***                                                

She doesn’t tell Father or Catelyn of the babe.

But oh how her heart _aches_ that Petyr shall never know his child. But to wish that surely meant her death. Petyr would have killed her if the child had lived. She knows that as surely as she knows her name.

She tries to steel her heart against him a thousand times over but still she pines. _Do the Seven truly hate me so?_ _To take my child, give me a vision of my own murder yet still make me love him?_

In her lessons a week later Septa Walda collapses. She is taken to Maester Garret. She wakes only once. She asks Lysa to bring her Lord Father before she falls unconscious again. Lord Hoster comes and has a private conversation with the Septa as the request of a dying woman.

When he is done Maester Garret opens the door with tears in his eyes. Lord Hoster laid his hand on the Maesters shoulder in a show of sympathy and returned to his duties.

After Lord Hoster left Lysa and Garret both took a side of her pallet and seats where they held her hands and watch her chest rise and fall slowly before it stopped entirely. The Maester solemnly tells her that she died struck by a paroxysm quite common in the elderly. It comes sudden but kills quick and that she did not suffer much.

Lysa sobs while Maester Garret takes her to her rooms. He mixed something to help her rest and gave it to her when they reach her chamber door.

“Maester?”

“Yes my lady?”

“Septa Walda told me-” she took a deep breath in. “That you- That she- You have my sympathy Maester. She loved you very much. If she could claim you as her own she would have died a truly happy woman”

Maester Garret smiles. “She did, in the end. She told Lord Tully that all of her rather considerable savings would be given to me.” He smiled sadly “A Frey knows something of money my lady.”

He handed her the mixture and left. Lysa sat in her room crying a little. The Seven had taken her mother her child and her septa. One in childbirth one before he was born and one who had kept her secret. _They love me not and I return their affection duly._

***

It is only a few months after that Brandon and his Father are killed and Father raises his banners in rebellion after negotiation with Lord Arryn.

It is agreed that as the elder Catelyn shall marry Lord Arryn. As he admitted he was old already and more than like his wife would be regent for any son he begot.

Catelyn nodded at this and called her future lord husband wise for she had been Lady of Riverrun since her mother’s death and knew well the running of a household.

Lysa would marry Eddard Stark and reform the betrothal broken by Brandon’s death. He sat next to his foster-father looking somewhat uncomfortable. He had not spoken since he had thanked Catelyn for her sympathies over Brandon’s death.

Catelyn had sobbed a little then though she quickly apologised, saying she had no right to shed tears when she had seen him only a handful of times and Eddard was his own brother. Eddard had looked sheepish at that and Jon Arryn said Brandon had spoken of her so well to Eddard that he already thought of her as a sister.

Lysa suspected he was lying to Catelyn to make her feel better. _I will not marry a dishonest man.,_ Lysa says to herself.

***

The next day she goes to the Godswood with a few books on northern history that Catelyn had read to learn of the lands she would one day be lady of and leans upon a tree. She sits there for hours reading of the lands over which her children – _please gods let there be children-_ will one day rule.

She finds it odd that the northern gods have no names and that instead of songs and incense, they will sit under a heart tree to pray, taking comfort from the rustling of the leaves which they believed to be the gods speaking to them.

She also reads about how new brides would pluck a leaf from a heart tree and sprinkle a bit of their blood on it before burying it in the earth between the heart tree’s roots as sort of prayer for children. A drop of blood, a sacrifice from the bride of her very life’s blood so the gods might grant her a healthy child.

She has never liked the heart tree of Riverrun, small and skinny with a face she had nightmares about as a child, but she goes to it now. It takes some manoeuvring but she manages to take a leaf from a low hanging branch. _One for a child_ she thinks to herself.

She is unsure of how she will draw her blood. She has never liked the sight of it. She tries jabbing her hand with a stick but she only scratches herself without drawing any blood. The sun is going down by then and soon dinner will be called. Lysa tucked the leaf into her bodice.She decided that she would snatch a knife from the dinner table and try then.

She makes some conversation with her betrothed, eagerly asking of Winterfell, Benjen, Lyanna and the Old Gods. Father and Lord Arryn look pleased. She is happy at that. She has failed her father enough.

She sneaks a knife from the dinner table and afterwards heads to the godswood. Lysa pulled the leaf from her bodice. It looked rather crumpled but she nicked her thumb, spread her blood and buried the leaf all the same.

She worried then, that perhaps she required a fresh leaf. She couldn’t find the branch she used before in the darkness so she starts to climb the heart tree to pluck a fresh leaf.  In the moonlight she finds a fine leaf, large and red before she realises she cannot get down.

She hears crunching then and she begs they will not look up. She will look such the fool if anyone catches her. It is Eddard that has come to the heart tree to pray in the night. She panics a little then letting out a squeal and near slipping from her branch.

Eddard looks up quick as a flash.

“Who goes there?” He shouts angrily, drawing the dagger from his belt. Lysa nearly stops breathing. She cannot get out of this tree she realises, without a little help. She takes a few deep breaths before speaking.

“It is me Lord Eddard, Lady Lysa” She called down. He looked up at her looking puzzled but he has softened his face. That is good. Her betrothed looks rather scary when angry.

“Why are you in the heart tree my lady?” He calls up.

“I-I came to pray my lord. For a child. The Northern way.” Eddard looks at her with an expression she thinks is pleased. She is happy to please him.

Eddard walked so he was underneath her. “You shall not have to worry my lady. My sister often gets herself stuck in trees I know the way of this. You shall have to jump my lady”

“Jump? I cannot. It is too far my lord.”

“It only seems so my lady. Jump and I shall catch you” Lysa took three deep breaths and jumped.

Eddard does not catch her, but softens her fall instead. She picks herself up quickly, embarrassed and blushing bright red.

“I am so sorry my lord I did not mean to-”

“It is my own fault my lady. I did not position myself correctly”

Eddard stands in front of her, tall and somewhat intimidating. He takes the leaf from her hand, somewhat crushed now. He hold it in front of his face for inspections.

“Oh it’s ruined!” Lysa said “I shall get anoth-” She stopped then and blushed.

Eddard was smoothing the leaf out.

“It is a good leaf my lady. Large and strong”

“Surely perfect for a child my lord” She said blushing.

“Indeed my lady. Though it works better if the moth- mother and father both give a little blood”

She and Eddard cut their thumbs and spread their blood on the leaf, burying it before the roots.

***

Their lord husbands stay only a few weeks after the wedding.

Both sisters miss their moonblood and silently hope for a babe.

***

Lysa and Catelyn both sit in the Sept. Catelyn praying to the mother. Lysa simply goes to her knees in defiance. _You are no gods of mine._  Neither has bled in three moons and they both pray for a healthy son. Catelyn’s gowns have already been let out as the child curves her belly. Lysa’s belly is also curved, though not to the same extent as her sisters.

She worries at this but Maester Garret says she is slimmer and younger, so her babe will more than likely be smaller than her sister’s.

Lysa prays in the godswood that her child will be born strong and healthy. _Boy or Girl, I care not just let me keep this at least. The Seven have always favoured Catelyn. Perhaps you will favour me._

***

Six months later they go into labour but a few hours from each other.

Catelyn’s labour starts first, long and hard.

Lysa sits by her holding her hand, panicked and upset, though Catelyn is as calm as ever. _I have seen my child die and Septa Walda died holding my hand_. _I am cursed, cursed surely my child will die_ Maester Garret politely though firmly asks Lysa to leave so that he may attend Lady Arryn better. _Catelyn, Catelyn, she is Catelyn, my only sister that lived_ she thinks pressing a dozen kisses to Catelyn’s hands and face.

She raced to the sept, though her belly made it somewhat difficult. Her father and the new Septa were in there praying.

She walked over to father and tapped him on the shoulder. He started at that but she guided him over to a pew to sit.

“Will Catelyn live father?” She asked, her voice trembling. “You all say I’m too young but I remember when mother died and I couldn’t bear it if Catelyn-”

Father kissed her cheek and wrapped his arms around her.

“The Maester said that we should have waited a good few years after Edmure was born Lysa. But your mother did not wish to. She had given me a son once and she believed she could do it again, god’s love her. We should have waited. But she wished to do her duty by me” He said bitterly. “She said our house words were Family, Duty, Honour and how could she honour me and do her duty if she could not give me a family?”

He sat up then. “I must leave now. The Running of the Riverlands does not stop because my daughter is in labour though gods, I wish it would.” He kissed her cheek. “Add your prayers to mine Lysa and the gods may see fit to answer them”

She falls to her knees in front of the mother _Please please let Catelyn live I have angered you not her she is innocent she has done nothing please please please take me but let my child and Catelyn live please-_ her prayer stopped as she cried out in pain.

Her child was coming. For once the Seven had given her their favour. She cried at the irony while the Septa helped her to her feet.

***

Catelyn gives birth to an Arryn- coloured boy called Robin, named for her lord husband’s father. Maester Garret tells her that it would be best if she waited a few years before she tried for another child. Father growls at that. He sits at Catelyn’s bedside and asks for her forgiveness that he would marry her to an old man with weak seed. He had reached his great age without producing a child, trueborn or bastard.

Catelyn shushed her father at that saying he had produced _one_ son and heir at least. Even if she would never have a daughter of her own her lord husband had a son.

Lysa births twin boys, who she names Rickard and Edmyn. _Two boys for two leaves_ she thinks to herself.

Rickard looks all Stark a fine squalling and healthy boy. Edda- Ned shall surely be pleased with her, should he survive the war.

Edmyn looks all Tully except for his eyes. Lysa thinks that she would have preferred a girl to name for her beloved Septa but she _knows_ she will have more children.

Lysa has two healthy sons to Catelyn’s one and she is mired with guilt. _Why would the gods punish Catelyn for my crime?_ She gasps then. Their mother died trying to bear Father a  second son and had lost children before that.

When father has left so that they may rest she looks over at Catelyn. She holds her Robin in her arms but her brow is creased in thought.

“Catelyn?”

“Yes Lysa?”

“You- You will not do as mother did will you?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“You will wait until the Maester says it is safe for you to have a child won’t you? Father said that they should have waited longer before-”

“I will do my duty sister.” Catelyn said firmly. Lysa was near to tears.

“But it is my duty to raise my son. I will not die trying and failing to have another Lysa. Not like mother.”

Lysa smiled at that.

“Besides Lysa. One of us must have a daughter. For Edmures son.”

Lysa laughed. All was well. Catelyn and their sons lived. One day Rickard Stark and Robin Arryn would rule in peace, the greatest lords of their age.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_I am foolish to think that my sons shall live in peace,_ thinks Lysa.

 

Father had left only a few days after his daughters weddings, with half his bannermen and had returned to see his grandsons born before leaving once again with fresh men. They had just gotten news of the Battle of Ashford. “An indecisive victory ” Maester Garret had called it. She had been so hopeful when Robert Baratheon has fought his three battles at Summerhall so well. Surely the gallant lord of Storms End would bring the rebellion to a close quickly.

To Lysa’s fear and disappointment, Robert had been chased from the Stormlands by the Tyrell armies. She and Catelyn had been trying to soothe Rickard and Edmyn most of the night and it was near sunrise when the Maester had told them of it.

 

Catelyn’s Robin was a content and sleepy child, whilst Lysa’s sons saw fit to scream if they were left alone. The new Septa Aelinor refused to deal with either child, saying it is the work of a wetnurse, not a septa. Lysa sends her chilly looks at that. _She acts as though my children were some common whelp. They are my sons. Trueborn and beloved._ It is a little later that she learns Septa Aelinor has _twenty_ siblings and has spent near her entire life caring for those younger than her and finally rejected a marriage proposal and entered a motherhouse, merely to avoid having any of her own.

 

Catelyn had clutched a squalling Edmyn tight to her chest upon hearing it. “If the Tyrell’s have the control of the Stormlands what is to stop them attacking Riverrun?” She had asked fearfully “We are not so far from the borders of the Reach, nor the Crownlands. What of the West? Surely Lord Tywin would serve his king. He has been his Hand since he was a young man”

“Your Lord father has left men aplenty in Riverrun Lady Arryn.”

Lysa’s mind raced.

“But what of us? What if the Lords Tyrell or Lannister attempt to capture Riverrun? What shall we do then?” She was working herself into a panic.

“Peace, Lady Stark” the Maester said calmingly. “Lord Frey has offered your sister and your children refuge in the Twins, if Riverrun should fall. It is not so far to the North from there and no true Northman would deny their Lady and her family refuge. Lord Arryn has arranged the same” Lysa calmed a little at that.

 

It was odd to think of herself as Lady Stark. For years she had wished to be Lady Baelish and for a short while Lady Lannister. For a few hours, she thought perhaps she might be Lady Arryn. She had been so relieved that had not been betrothed to him that she had quickly felt ashamed.

_It was a wise match in any case_ she thought. _I have a weak womb that I couldn’t keep a child without giving blood to the Old Gods and he has the weak seed of an old man. Catelyn is stronger than me._

The Septa gives her dirty looks that she no longer prays in the Sept but Catelyn supports her in it. “It is good that you worship your Lord Husband’s Gods Lysa. Many women have suffered in their marriages for not doing so.”

Lysa and Catelyn walk with Edmyn and Rickard for hours trying to calm them. But still they cry and sniffle, never truly calming. _Gods but I wish for one quiet godsblessed hour!_ A thought comes to her. It’s only a chance, but at this point she is desperate.

 

“Catelyn, let us go to the godswood. It is wonderful warm and calm there. Perhaps that will quiet them.”

Septa Aelinor joins them, as Septa Walda always did. The sun has been up for a few hours and the five of them have not slept all night. During the walk the boys calm a little.

“My lady the babes have not calmed, surely we should go inside?” Septa dislikes the godswood near as much as she dislikes children but she is a truly zealous proponent of the Faith of the Seven and it is to be expected.

“My Lord Eddard told me it was often he and his siblings would not calm unless they were near a heart tree. He is of the blood of the First Men, as are his sons my good Septa”.

 

They sit themselves before the heart tree and soon enough the babes settle. Lysa cannot help but feel a little superior. When she and Catelyn are sure they are asleep they carefully pick them up and return to the castle, putting them back in their cradles next to Robin, who still sleeps peacefully.

“You are a wise mother” Catelyn whispers, holding Lysa’s hand and gazing lovingly at their sleeping children. Lysa smiles at that. _Once I was a foolish child. But no longer._

***

Lysa rejoices at Eddard’s great victory at the Stony Sept. She hugs Catelyn in glee. That night in the godswood she holds both her sons close and tells them of their gallant and noble father.

She hears a week or so later that Prince Rhaegar has finally entered the war, gathering his forces at the Trident. The next few days are fraught with fear, the men that Father left behind preparing for Lysa, Catelyn and the children to escape across land to the North if need be.

They can no longer follow the High Road to the Vale of Arryn, in case they would come too close to the army, neither can they risk crossing into the Westerlands. Instead they shall cross the river and make their way to Raventree Hall, seat of House Blackwood and from there more men shall be waiting to take them to Wendish Town, then to the Twins and onwards through the North to Winterfell.

 

The two mothers wait eagerly for any news whatsoever of the battle. Surely its outcome will spell the life or death of their husbands and sons. The King may be mad but surely he would not kill girls not even twenty, and children not even a year old?

Lysa and Catelyn spend near every night praying at the godswood and the sept for their husbands until word reaches them.

The Battle of the Trident has ended with Rhaegar victorious. Their Lord Father is dead and Edmure is only just ten years old and Lord of Riverrun. But not all is lost. The Lannisters make haste towards Kings Landing and Rhaegar trusts them not. The majority of the Royalist army runs down the Kingsroad to make battle, while some of the Tyrell forces harry the Rebels. Robert and Eddard head northwards to regroup the army. Lord Tyrell sends three-thousand men to take Riverrun. Lord Hoster’s daughters and his grandsons must flee. There are some in the Riverlands still, who are loyal to the Targaryens and would gladly hand over traitorous Tully blood to the King to be executed. Lord Edmure must stay to keep the Riverlanders loyalty.

 

Edmure had run to Catelyn and cried in her lap when he had heard of Father’s death.

“Why can’t you stay Cat? _You_ are the Lady of Riverrun everybody knows that-”

“I cannot stay Edmure. My husband is a traitor to the king, as is Lysa’s. It is far safer for you that you can say truthfully that Father’s men took us to refuge. If you have read your history you know full well what happens to the wives and children of traitors. ” Edmure looked up at that, gaping. He looked to Lysa, who stood wringing her hands nervously.

“No! They cannot, _I won’t let them!_  We shall flood the ditch and make Riverrun impregnable, then you will be safe.”

“We cannot stay Edmure!” Lysa yelled. “We cannot they would-” She stopped and began to sob. Edmure disentangled himself from his eldest sister and wrapped his arms around Lysa’s waist. “I won’t let them hurt you Lysa. You’ll see.” That surprised Lysa well enough. It was rare enough these past years that he would show the slightest affection to Lysa, declaring he was a man grown and had no need of such affection any more. He showed plenty to Catelyn of course, she was half his mother anyway.

She sniffled a little and wrapped her arms around Edmure, hugging him as tightly as she could. She couldn’t remember the last time she had hugged father.

“We will see each other again little brother. I promise you that.”

***

Lysa, Catelyn and the children were bundled up, their bags and packs had been packed for a while and made their way along with a Tully guard towards the Red Gate so that they could cross the Red Fork. The men were ready to row when they heard a shouting above them.

_The Tyrell’s have already taken Riverrun!_ Lysa thought for a mad moment. The yelling figure came into sight. It was Septa Aelinor. “My ladies! My ladies take me with you!” The men swore at her and told her to go back to her sept but Lysa stood.

 

“Hold men. We have three babes between the two of us and how many of you know of the caring of a child? She shall come with us, to take care of my Edmyn.” The Septa smiled gratefully at her and lowered herself into the boat. It is an easy enough crossing, for the water is calm. It is only now that their true test will begin. It is three days walk from the banks of the Red Fork to Raventree Hall and no doubt it will take longer with their children.

***

They have more men and horses besides but still their guards will not dare risk them. Lysa, Catelyn and Aelinor ride on horses each with a child wrapped tightly to them.

Aelinor hears one of the guards, a Frey by his insignia, jape that since Lady Lysa has twins, surely they can just leave one of them and the Septa behind? Aelinor leapt from her horse as well as she could with Edmyn strapped to a chest and slapped him hard enough to send him to the ground.

“If you _ever_ speak of my Lady of her children that way again I’ll _geld_ you highborn or no” She had returned to her mount then, radiating with anger. Lysa heard of this only when they stopped to camp the first night and she was so incensed that she did not speak to a Frey guard again for the rest of her journey.

 

They reach Raventree Hall easily enough. They are not feasted but they and their guards are given comfy rooms and plenty of food to replace what they had already eaten. It is there they learn that both Riverrun and Storms End are being besieged by Lord Tyrell. Catelyn suggests that Lysa pray in Raventree’s godswood. Lysa makes her way there but Raventree’s heart tree is massive and dead. _It will do no good for me to pray here_. She instead sits with Catelyn in the sept. She prays a little. Her sons have been near silent since they left Riverrun. More than once she has poked them or stopped her horse so she may check that Rickard still lived. But still, she was glad that her sons had quietened themselves at last.

 

They stay there for a week before their Frey, Tully and Raventree Guards decide it is time to move on to Wendish Town. It will take two days to arrive at Wendish Town as the ground was flat. But still there could be remnants of either army wandering on the way.

It is decided then that they cannot take the gentle pace they have previously. They must be swift.

The rush to Wendish Town is one none of the women will forget. Only once are they set upon, from a band of royal deserters. Their guards fight them off but not without losing a few men.

They reach the stone walls of Wendish Town in the cover of darkness. They have reached the gates, a full compliment of thirty men along with the women and children. One of the men is known about the town so he is the one that approaches the gate. There are no torches lit above the gates.

 

The guard banged on the gates until a man lit a torch and leaned from the gate tower.

“Who goes there? Identify yourself and your allegiance”

Lysa worried at that. Had royalists taken the city? Could they run in time if they needed to?

“I am Leo Rivers. I come in the service of Lord Hos- Lord Edmure of House Tully.”

“Who do you travel with that you require so many men?”

“I will know your own allegiance before I tell you that.”

“I am in the service of my Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell who has occupied the town. Now I ask again who do you travel with?” Lysa nearly cried for happiness. Her Lord Husband was here. She and her sons would be safe once more.

“I travel with Lady Lysa Stark and Lady Catelyn Arryn, along with their sons and their Lord Husbands heirs.” The guardsman swore at that.

“Why do you bring them here you fool?”

“Riverrun is besieged. Lord Hoster had it arranged before he went to battle that we would take his daughters and their children North or to the Vale. We chose to go North.”

The guardsman yelled at someone to go down and open the gates and at another to fetch Lord Eddard.

The gates opened and the Ladies and their guards entered Wendish Town.


	3. Chapter 3

The streets of Wendish Town were narrow and the guards could only go three men abreast. The gatekeeper had met them on the ground and entrusted them to his Serjeant to take them to where Lord Eddard and Robert were housed. Lysa walked her horse on. She had wished to dismount at first, she was so sore but Catelyn insisted she stay ahorse. Catelyn was at her side and rode as close to her as she could, as she did not wish for Lysa to fall from her horse from exhaustion when she met her husband.

There was a shout from ahead and the guards quickly spread out. A man on a horse rode with a few Stark guards towards them. It took a moment to realise it was Lord Eddard. He dismounted when he reached the first row of guards as there was no room for his horse and walked towards Lysa and Catelyn along with one of his guards.

Her heart nearly burst with happiness. Her husband was here. She was safe. As were her - _our_ \- sons. Eddard took the reins of her horse and laid a hand on her booted ankle. Lysa’s heart gave a little flutter.

 

“I am happy to see you safe my lady, I have been anxious of your fate since we lost the Trident. I had feared that Rhaegar would take Riverrun.”

Lysa nodded, tongue tied. She tried to say something, _anything_ but could not coax a word from her own mouth. She managed a small smile instead, whispering her thanks.

Catelyn spoke up then. Lysa silently thanked her. She always seemed to always know when Lysa was unable to speak from nerves.

“It is the Tyrell’s that besiege our home my lord, and Tyrell’s who threaten my Lord Brother and his people.”

“I am sorry for your loss my lady. Lord Hoster was a good man.”

“He was, my lord” Catelyn replied. Lysa swallowed the lump in her throat. _Father is dead. I shall never see him again._ “He was a good man, and a better father”

“It would be best if we moved on to my lodgings my lady.” He said turning to Lysa. “Lord Arryn’s lodgings are only on the other side of the Inn to mine, Lady Catelyn, though if you prefer there is enough room in my own that you can stay with your sister and I share with Lord Arryn.”

“Your offer is kind Lord Stark but I shall stay with my Lord husband unless he would prefer otherwise.”

 

Eddard turned to Septa Aelinor then. “Would you stay in the Sept here or would you prefer to stay with one of your ladies?”

“I would prefer to stay with Lady Lysa my lord. I help care for her sons.”

“Sons?” Lord Eddard looked somewhat confused at that.

“Tw-Twins my lord” Lysa said blushing. “I- I birthed twin sons.” The Stark Guard around them burst into cheers at that. Lysa blushed and looked downwards at Rickard, hoping her cheeks were not so red that anyone would notice.

“That is good news my lady.” Eddard squeezed her foot and Lysa’s heart gave a little jump again. She smiled at him hesitantly and he smiled back at her.

_Oh._

***

Eddard and his guards led Aelinor and Lysa to his lodgings. Robert and Lord Arryn had taken one of the inn’s for their own and some of their men and Eddard had two rooms of his own in the inn. He went in ahead and left the guard that had stood by him to help her and Aelinor from their horses. Catelyn thanked him and asked his name. “I am Rodrik Cassel, Lady Arryn” Catelyn smiled and said “I should hope that you shall one day see Lord and my sister’s children safe in Winterfell” An Arryn Guard entered the stables and took Catelyn’s bags before leading her away.

 

Rodrik led her and the septa to Lord Starks rooms, setting her bags in a corner. They were somewhat untidy and had maps spread on the table and armour lying on the bed. The Inn had cribs in storage for travelling women and Lord Stark had asked for some to be brought to his rooms. Unfortunately, they could only find one in decent condition, though thankfully it was quite large, enough perhaps for an infant and a small child still too young for a bed to sleep in, so Rickard and Edmyn could share. Aelinor put Edmyn in the crib and went around inspecting the room. “Men!” She scoffed. “My mother would have a fit if I suggested putting one of my siblings down to sleep in here.”

 

Rickard let out a cry and started to fuss. Lysa unwrapped him and bounced him in her arms a bit, making soothing noises. She drew her braid over her shoulder and waved it in his face. Rickard loved her hair though sometimes he tugged on it quite hard. He settled down a bit and Lysa took the opportunity to place Rickard in the crib.

She walked over to Edmyn’s side of the crib. Absurdly, she had missed him the past few days, for all that he had never been out of her sight. He was awake and seemed to be in a good mood so she dangled her hands over the crib to let him suck on her fingers. Edmyn was constantly sucking his fists and feet. He was only a few months old and but he had a full head of auburn hair, that stuck out in little curls. Rickard was dark haired but his hair was as curly as his brothers.

 

Aelinor was going around the room and tidying as well as she could, placing all the armour and weapons she could find on the table.

“I shall go down and ask for a cot my lady” Septa said making for the door.

“Why? Are we not going to share?” Lysa asked absently, smiling down at Edmyn.

“You will share with your _Lord Husband_ my lady”

Lysa blushed. “Oh. Yes. I for-forgot” Edmyn waved a tiny hand at her making gurgling noises. Lysa ran her fingers over his cheek as he liked and stroked his head.

“As well you might. Stays only a few weeks and runs off to war” Aelinor sniffed, leaving the room.

 

Lysa worried a little then. She knew some women whose husbands had been displeased that their sons took after their wives. But surely he wouldn’t be so angry if at least Rickard looked like him. She was relieved at that. If Edmyn had been first she wasn’t sure her husband’s Lord’s would like an heir with a Southron name, but he looked so Tully she couldn’t bear to give him a Northern name. But she had named Eddard’s heir Rickard for his father so surely she was allowed to pick a good Tully name for their second son.

Edmyn fussed a bit so she started telling him a little story, one Septa Walda had taught her.

 

_“Once there were two sad sisters and they had two brothers who were very happy. They spent all their days swimming in the river and one day while skipping stones the elder brother hit a Riverwitch on the head. She screamed at the boy and tried to drown him but his brother threw earth at her, which all Riverwitches hate with a passion. She got away, but the next day when they played- ”_

 

The door opened behind her.

Lord Eddard stood at the door. Lysa stopped talking.

“My-My lord I’m sorry I didn’t see you”

“It is no matter my lady. You are not at fault.” He hesitated a moment before walking over to Lysa. “I am happy to see you and our children safe” He pressed a kiss to her cheek and Lysa blushed a little. _Gods will I never stop blushing like a silly girl?_

Eddard looked down at his children. Lysa stood by his side, nervous. _What should I say to him? Do I have to say anything?_ She had an idea then.

 

“Would-would you like to hold one of your sons my lord?” She reached into the crib quickly. If he didn’t want to she could just claim she wanted to hold him herself, having been so worried these past few days. Rickard seemed to be sleeping so she picked up Edmyn. She positioned Eddard’s arms and carefully placed him in his arms. Edmyn wiggled happily.

“This is Edmyn My Lord, the younger of the two. Rickard is sleeping now” Lysa blushed again. _Why do I blush like a nervous maid? He is my husband and I have borne his children. We have lain together more than once why does he make me so nervous?_ Eddard gently ran his finger down Edmyn’s cheek. That pleased Lysa. _He has never seen him before and yet he knows what pleases his son. He shall be a wonderful father._

“He is a fine boy my lady. You honour me.” Eddard said, smiling down at Edmyn. Lysa smiled at him. Their happy moment was ended with a man yelling “EDDARD” just before walking into the room. Both Rickard and Edmyn started to cry. She took Edmyn from Eddard and set him in the crib quickly and made soothing noises hopefully before they both decided to stay crying.

 

He was a tall and muscled man, with dark black hair and blue eyes. _Robert Baratheon, Lord of Storm’s End_. Lysa quickly turned around and curtsied, annoyed. “My lord” Eddard put his hand on her shoulder “Your grace, my lady. Robert has declared himself King”

“My apologies My L-Your grace” Lysa tried to curtsy again, but was stopped by King Robert pulling her into a hug. “No need Lady Stark. You’re married to Ned and that makes you a sister. ”

He _stunk_ of wine. She had misliked wine since Petyr had duelled Brandon. Robert walked past Lysa to look at the boys in the crib. That annoyed her. _King or no_ _,_ _he should ask to see them if he wishes to._ They were still fussing and Rickard looked fit to start crying again. He _hated_ being woken, much to Lysa’s despair.

 

Robert picked up Rickard with surprising gentleness and managed to calm the child. He winked at Lysa and smiled at the boy in his arms and started pulling faces at him. Eddard smiled and took Lysa’s hand. Her heart fluttered again.

“Robert has a natural daughter in the vale my lady. He loves her well and has often been the only one able to calm her” Lysa smiled at him. Just a little.

 

“A fine little man this one” Robert announced. “Lyanna will be well pleased if our sons look the same.” He placed Rickard back in his crib. “You will love Lyanna near as much as I do Lady Stark. Perhaps one day our sons shall fight together as Ned and I do.”

“I hope not your grace” Lysa said. She panicked a little then “I mean-I hope they only fight in the practise yard or at a tourney”

“We’ll you’re a mother. It’s to be expected.” Robert said. “”Ned, come down and have a drink with me. We shall celebrate your sons arrival.’

“My thanks your grace but I wish to stay with my wife and sons. I have not seen my lady in many months”

“Ha! Hope to put another son in her Ned?” Robert laughed and clapped Eddard on the back before he left the room.

 

Lysa dropped Eddards hand and went to the crib, checking that Rickard and Edmyn were both settled and positioned properly. She went to her bags in the corner and pulled out the blanket Catelyn had made for her sons. It had a stitched red direwolf racing on delicately stitched silver waves on a blue field, on which Lysa had stitched blue scales to the direwolf’s coat. She covered both the babes with it, desperately trying to think of something to say to her husband.

 

_Does he wish to lie with me tonight? Does he wish to go straight to sleep? Does he want his sons in another room?_

Eddard walked over and stroked Rickard’s head. “You have stitched a fine blanket My Lady”

“Thank you my lord my sister, Cat- Lady Arryn did most of it my lord. I only stitched the scales”

“A noble fish-wolf indeed. Perhaps Edmyn shall take the design as a personal shield one day.”

“Perhaps”

 

Lysa smiled at him. She wished to ask about her Father, whether he had suffered in his death, or had died quickly. _It’s an ill thing to talk of it over a crib_ she thought.

“Is it possible My Lord that some food could be brought up? Only I am quite hungry. My lord.”

Eddard nodded and went downstairs to find some food and Lysa pulled out one of the chairs from the table covered in maps and armour and sat, putting her head in her hands. _Why can’t I just speak to him? I never had this problem with Petyr._ She felt a stab of guilt in her belly along with a feeling of panic. _Why do I think of him? Why now?_

Eddard returned a little while later with bread and some cold beef roast.

 

They sat eating in silence until someone knocked at the door. Eddard told them to enter and an Arryn Guard walked into the room. “Lord Arryn requests that Lady Arryn may stay with her sister, as his lodgings are not to his liking for his son”

Eddard nodded at him and the guard left the room. “Do you think the crib will fit three my lady?” Lysa nodded, “Robin is smaller than your sons my lord” Eddard nodded. “Are Lady Arryn and her boy well?”

 

Lysa frowned at that. “As well as could be. Why?”

“I know Lord Arryn’s first wife died in childbirth after a hard labour. I only hoped your sister did not suffer the same”

Catelyn entered then. She was carrying Robin in her arms and looked flushed. She spoke as her guard put her bags with Lysa’s.

“The birth was hard my lord. But we live on in good health, though Robin hasn’t put on the weight the Maester hoped he would.”

“That is very good my lady. I wish you both the best of health” Eddard nodded at her somewhat awkwardly and left the room, closing the door behind him.

 

“Men!” Lysa said smiling. “Put them in a room with more than two children and they run!”

Catelyn put Robin in the crib and walked over to Lysa. “Do you need some help undressing?”

Lysa nodded and let Catelyn untie her laces, leaving her only in her shift before doing the same for her.

They both stood over the crib to make sure their children were sleeping. Lysa wrinkled her nose at her bed. “That mattress better not have fleas. If we are bitten-”

“We are fleeing for our lives Lysa! Fleeing from our home! There are those who would slaughter us and our children and you complain of fleas?”

“Well I- ”

She looked at her sister. Catelyn was near in tears. _I couldn’t have upset her_ that _much._

 

A thought occurred and Lysa felt _furious._ Then scared. She took Catelyn’s hands.

“Did Lord Arryn say something astray Catelyn?” Catelyn sniffled a little.

“I told him that Maester Garret said and that we should wait at least until Robin is weaned until we try for another child.”

“What did he say to that? Did he raise a hand to you?” Lysa asked frantically.

“No! Nothing like that. He just looked disappointed. Well not quite just- I don’t know resigned perhaps?” Catelyn took a deep breath in. “It is just- You birthed healthy sons and I have only one and a small one at that. I feel- I don’t know. I feel as if I could have done better.”

 

Lysa gave her a hug. “You survived a hard birth Catelyn. His first wife didn’t. I am sure he simply wishes to have as many children as he can now that he has a young and fertile wife. Men are selfish like that”

“I would give him a child right now if I could.”

“But-”

“I mustn’t I know. My husband is a good man. He would not force me to have another if it meant my death. Robin is a healthy boy. He will be fatter when he is weaned, I’m sure of it”

Lysa let go of her and they both got in the bed. Catelyn got in next to her and gave a muffled shriek.

“What? What is it?” Catelyn groped under the sheets and found a piece or armour under the blankets. A codpiece. She held it up for inspection and started giggling.

 

“I shouldn’t like to wear something that cold on my nethers” Catelyn said with a grin. Lysa started giggling then, louder than Catelyn. She quickly clamped her hand over her mouth, doing her best to laugh silently.

 

When they were done laughing Lysa placed her head on Catelyn’s shoulder.

“Oh Catelyn!” She whispered in their secret language.”It’s terrible. I can barely say a word to my husband without blushing or giggling or even talk entirely!”

“You have always been shy Lysa. Once you have lived together a while it will be better. It is only because he’s been away. You hardly know the man.”

“I think he is-quite kind. Edmyn likes him well enough. What do you think of Lord Arryn?”

“He is certainly polite and well mannered. You should have seen his face when he held Robin! You could see the love in his eyes Lysa.”

Catelyn took Lysa’s hand.

“Your husband will look at you the same way one day Lysa. I promise it.”


End file.
